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Drivers of diesel vehicles are being ripped off at the pump as suppliers deliberately inflate the price of a litre of fuel, it has been claimed.
FairFuelUK says that if retail diesel was sold at a “fair price”, inflation would be below 10% and potentially closer to 9%.
The campaign group insists that pump prices are being kept 17.45p per litre higher than average petrol wholesale costs dictate, meaning the UK’s diesel drivers have paid more than £1.3bn extra at the pumps since the beginning of the year.
“Not only is profiteering continuing to be rife on the pricing of this essential resource for the commercial heartbeat of the nation, but the Government and the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) are happy, it seems, to see this profiteering continue,” said the organisation.
It says the massive difference between petrol and diesel prices means an extra £10 to fill up the average family diesel car, £14 more for the typical van driver and nearly £70 for a full tank of fuel for the average trucker.
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“Since January 1, 2023, the Government has benefited from these higher than necessary diesel prices to the tune of £6m per day in extra fuel duty and VAT,” it said.
“At current levels, the Treasury’s dishonest diesel tax take has increased even further to £8.5m extra per day.
“Had prices matched petrol wholesale costs, the filling price of diesel would now be below £1.50 per litre.”
It points out that the wholesale price of diesel is 4.81p a litre lower than unleaded but at the pumps it is being sold at an average 20p per litre more.
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK, said: “The Treasury is fleecing an extra 6bn to £8bn out of diesel drivers every single day.
“It makes no sense that they continue to ignore introducing a potential consumer pricing watchdog that would ensure honest, fair, and transparent pricing at the pumps.
“The Chancellor is still talking about hiking fuel duty in the general election year.
“This economic illiteracy will doom the Conservative Party onto the opposition benches for decades to come. Pure fiscal madness and electoral suicide.”
Jonathan Gullis MP said he supported the ‘PumpWatch’ campaign for a watchdog to oversee fuel prices at the pump.
He said: “Diesel motorists are at the very heart of the British economy. Pump prices are hit and miss and seemingly uncontrollable.
“This must stop now and PumpWatch put in place to benefit the economy and hard-pressed motorists.”
Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, is also backing the campaign.
She said: “I’ve run a business and I know how frightening cost of living pressures can be. That is why I believe in keeping the cost of fuel down.”
Other MPs backing the move include Dame Andrea Leadsom and Craig Mackinlay MP, chair of the Fair Fuel All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Mr Mackinlay said: “It is now even more obvious that motorists are being fleeced by the fuel retailers and it’s time for a Pumpwatch price monitor to highlight the truth and bring such blatant profiteering to heel.”
